This week, The Capital Project, the video series documenting the flourishing, eccentric, vibrant, and relatively unique community of New Brunswick’s music scene, was released via YouTube. It is gloriously and extraordinarily encyclopedic.
Two years ago, when The Capital Project first came into the public light, it was with some degree of mystery and a lot of promise. Tim Rayne, director, and Arthur Thomson, producer, hyped a community event at Picaroon’s Roundhouse in Fredericton that would be well worth it, or at the very least would have craft beer, but otherwise offered little in the way of details.
What they delivered was a massive undertaking. They presented the first preview of this monstrous series, but it was just the tip of the iceberg. The even was met with roaring applause. Today we have the full breadth of it:120 band performances and 200 interviews featuring bands, solo musicians, music educators, theatre performers, festival organizers, venue owners and music promoters.
Broken into segments, The Capital Project explores such themes as “First Albums,” “Spot Light Series,” “Music Education,” “The Music Biz” and more.
Rayne has been active in the New Bruckswick music community for years. Between 2009 and 2015 he was working at CHSR, and in 2011 he took over as Station Manager.
“It was there I started meeting or reconnecting with friends within the Music Scene. I was big on focussing on local content and especially local music,” says Rayne. “So, when I started RayneMaker Productions, I decided to do a project that celebrated all these musicians and artists I met. One of my favourite things while working at CHSR were the local people.”
“I grew up with many different friends who played music and performed in bands growing up. I’ve been actively making short films and learning about films since the late 90s. The New Brunswick Film Coop nurtured my love of films and filmmaking, so it was there I learned about the importance of community and the role it played in my own personal development.”
Rayne’s role in the community reflects the very values that developed the community in the first place. The intensity with which Fredericton as a whole engages with that community may be a peculiar idiosyncrasy.
“In general I think local scenes, artists and ‘independent’ media are the most empowered than they have ever historically been over the last few years, and that’s a Global Phenomenon,” says Rayne. “But what’s unique about Fredericton is it’s density of serious talent and it eclecticism. In fact, it’s ridiculously dense for a city this size. The entire Province is rich is in talent from all backgrounds, genres, and styles.”
“I think the impact from the rich music/art scene will inherently be positive and have long term benefits on our local culture. But I can’t say where it will go commercially; however, more importantly culturally, it will empower generations come. In some ways I think we have already progressed further than many other major cities. The intimacy and small town community living stimulates a vibrant and unique environment that I truly think is unique to this region. For example, in its density alone.”
Curating, promoting and preserving that scene can often be compared to a panning for gold, or even throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks. Sometimes it’s a matter of catching as much of it as possible and letting history decide what is preserved for posterity. Bless The Capital Project for making that possible. History might be made on the streets, but it’s being preserved on our screens.
The Capital Project can be viewed online here, with new segments being added weekly over the next 6 months. In addition to the web series, a one hour version of the project will be airing on CBC’s “Absolutely Maritimes” on July 6.